Ansonia’s Police Commission promoted four officers to new roles in the department’s detective bureau Wednesday (Oct. 5).
About 20 officials, friends, and family members packed the Erlingheuser Room in City Hall to watch as the police commissioners voted unanimously to promote Detective James Frolish to detective sergeant and Officers Brian Harte, Richard Esposito Jr., and Jonathan Troesser to the rank of detective.
Mayor David Cassetti had formally requested the promotions in a Sept. 29 letter to the commission at the recommendation of Police Chief Kevin Hale.
Hale told the police commission Wednesday that the position of detective sergeant opened up when Patrick Lynch was promoted recently to the rank of lieutenant.
The chief said he had talks with the mayor to beef up the department’s investigative abilities.
“The detective bureau has been shorthanded for too long now but this brings us up to speed,” Hale said.
Frolish, Harte, Esposito, and Troesser scored well in written exams and verbal interviews, the chief said.
“These officers did an exceptional job in the (promotion) process,” Hale said.
Frolish told the police commissioners that Lynch left big shoes to fill and that he and the rest of the city’s detectives will do their best to do so, thanking the police commission, Hale, and Cassetti.
All four officers promoted Wednesday are decorated veterans of the police department.
Frolish has worked in the department since 2001 and is the most recent recipient of the Brian F. Phipps Memorial Award of Excellence, the department’s highest honor.
Harte, a 19-year veteran of the force, received a departmental citation for his quick response to a 2009 Main Street robbery two days before Christmas. He’s also a popular past visitor at the YMCA Summer Camp.
Troesser has been a Ansonia cop since July 2007 and received a distinguished service award from the department for his response to an October 2012 armed robbery behind the Big Y on Main Street, as well as a life saving award for preventing a suicide in December 2009, in addition to several other citations.
Esposito, a 10-year veteran of the department, is also the recipient of a life saving award from the department, for giving an unresponsive 86-year-old woman CPR until paramedics arrived on a call in September 2009. He also coordinates the department’s block watch program with residents.
Along with Frolish, Esposito was also cited for his work in safely resolving a standoff at the Beaver Brook Apartments last May.
Hale thanked the mayor and police commission members Wednesday, telling them that the officers’ experience would serve them well in their new roles.
“These are excellent officers who certainly deserve these promotions,” the chief said.
A swearing-in ceremony for the promoted officers is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday (Oct. 6) in Aldermanic Chambers at City Hall, 253 Main St.
